MING unveils the super-slinky Polymesh, the world’s first 3D-printed titanium watch bracelet-strap hybrid

Jamie Weiss

One of the best things about spending time in Geneva is that, while you’re out and about in the city, you inevitably end up casually running into interesting people in the watch space, who’ll have all sorts of interesting things on their wrists. Case in point: last month at Geneva Watch Days, while Zach and I were at the preview for Phillips’ highly anticipated Geneva Watch Auction: XX, we ran into Ming Thein, the photographer/writer/multi-hyphenate best known these days as the founder of his eponymous brand, Horologer MING. There were plenty of cool watches in that room, either in display cases or on people’s wrists, but the coolest thing by far wasn’t even a watch: it was a watch bracelet.

Today, I can finally speak about that bracelet. (To be honest, I can’t even remember what watch was on it, other than it was a MING, no duh.) It’s called the Polymesh, and as the title suggests, it’s the world’s first 3D-printed, titanium bracelet-strap hybrid… And it could be the most comfortable way to wear a watch ever devised.

MING explains that the Polymesh is an attempt to combine the “flow” or fluidity of metal bracelets with the suppleness of a fabric strap. Indeed, having held the Polymesh myself, it has a drape and flexibility uncannily like fabric – but it’s entirely made from grade 5 titanium. Specifically, it’s formed from a whopping 1,693 links and components that hooked into their neighbour in a closed loop. There are no pins or screws, and even the articulated buckle and hinges for the tang are formed during the same 3D printing process, with the only assembly being the addition of the quick-release spring bars.

Wait, you might be asking: if the Polymesh is all formed in effectively one piece, how do you remove or add links to size the thing? Well, you don’t need to. The freaky thing is that it’s actually got holes and a pin buckle like a fabric, leather or rubber strap – hence why it has a tang. It’s not infinitely adjustable like a Perlon strap or your typical mesh bracelet, but I suspect it will fit 99% of wrists.

“The Polymesh would not be possible without recent advances made in additive manufacturing and 3D printing – it cannot be made using traditional subtractive methods such as machining,” MING relates, explaining that the distances between some individual parts of the Polymesh are as tiny as 70 microns. MING is partnering with Sisma S.p.A. in Italy and ProMotion SA in Switzerland to produce the bracelet, and says that the production process takes several hours per bracelet because each bracelet requires several hundred individual layers of sintering, and then finishing to remove burrs.

The result? An uncannily light experience on the wrist that’s unlike any other strap or bracelet on the market. MING hasn’t disclosed how much it weighs exactly, but it’s super slinky and breathable – but because it’s titanium, it doesn’t feel fragile. As these images allude to, the Polymesh can be manipulated in ways that even a fabric strap would struggle to be manipulated, but with no chance of deforming the product. Its triangular pattern, too, evokes a woven or braided product – it’s both sci-fi and traditional all at once. It’s like the sort of chainmail a knight from the 31st century would wear.

I’m not normally an advocate for mixing and matching different watch brands’ straps with one another. It’s like wearing Nike sneakers with Adidas socks. Gross. But I think I’d make an exception for the MING Polymesh. Obviously, it complements MING’s range of watches perfectly, but I’d love to see how this wears on something like a titanium Yacht-Master or a Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light. MING is currently developing the Polymesh in stainless steel, too – imagine pairing a steel Polymesh with a Calatrava…

MING Polymesh pricing and availability

The MING Polymesh in grade 5 titanium is priced at CHF 1,500 excluding taxes and will be available via www.ming.watch or MING’s authorised retail partners. MING will be exhibiting prototypes at WatchTime New York from the 17th to the 19th of October, 2025 and at Dubai Watch Week from the 19th to the 23rd of November, 2025.